(sigh)

Today, more than ever, I am so glad that I am out of the situation I was in last year.

I am so glad that I work in an environment where children are not expected to be perfect little prototypes. Where children are encouraged and expected to be individuals. Just like in the real world where adults are not all the same. The kids I work with are different and have isms and likes and dislikes.

And the people I work with are expected to find ways to mold those isms and likes and dislikes into a day that is full of learning and care-giving and support. A day that may be challenging and possibly difficult for the adult. But a day that in the end, will benefit the child.

The people I work with know that there is a very real chance that they might be the only person who provides encouragement and care to a child that day. They know that they are fulfilling a vitally important role in that child's life.

It breaks my heart when I hear about people who work with kids who don't really like kids. People who are grossed out by the runny noses and who are pissed off when the kids are not perfectly compliant.

People who are robbing kids of having every experience that childhood should offer them.

What a freaking shame.

Let the Wild Rumpus Start

I am not sure what made me think of this book this evening. But I'm glad I did. A few months ago Rachael indulged my childishness and went to the movies with me to see Spike Jonze' adaptation of "Where the Wild Things Are". It was pretty neat on the IMAX screen, but I am not sure how well the book translated onto film.

And when he came to the place where the wild things are, they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes and showed their terrible claws. Till Max said "Be still!" and tamed them with the magic trick of staring into all their yellows eyes without blinking once. And they were frightened and called him the most wild thing of all and made him King of All Wild Things.

I'm not going to lie, there are days when I wish that I had an island of Wild Things to escape to.

What a maverick.

An open letter to the people out there who like Sarah Palin and think she would be a good president:

I can totally see why some people would be drawn to Sarah Palin. She is homey. She speaks like she is one of us. She values family and hard work.

She preaches abstinence but apparently forgot to tell her daughter about it. She was elected by the people of Alaska,to be their advocate and leader, only to quit so that she could promote her book.

She also has an issue when people use the R word.

Except when those people happen to be very influential members of her own political party.



Ok.

Someone needs a slap upside their mavericky head. Your own flesh and blood is developmentally delayed. He will most likely face a lifetime of difficulty in dealing with an overwhelmingly cruel society. You will have to protect him from this. You will have to educate people on what his strengths and weaknesses are. You will inevitably have to deal with people who open their mouths and let their verbal diarrhea spew.

Be outraged. Demand an apology. But don't disappoint your fans by being so terribly partisan. If something is wrong ... it should be wrong for Rahm Emmanuel AND for Glenn Beck. Be better than that. Your son and your 2012 hopefuls deserve more than that.

*full disclosure: I am not a fan of SP and her brand of Gosh-I'm-So-Like-The-Common-Woman-I-Could-Just-Kiss-Myself-ness. I think she is a terrible role model for young women and I think that the Republican party could do better.